Overview

Working in partnership for development, progress, and prosperity for all

Welcome to the United Nations in Albania!

As a family of specialized agencies, the UN in Albania works closely with the Government and other partners including civil society, academia and the private sector, to fight poverty, strengthen the rule of law, promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, protect the environment and support economic and social reforms.

In harmonizing these actions, the UN in Albania takes its inspiration from the United Nations Charter, the overarching instrument of the UN, as well as more recent agreements reached by world leaders, such as the Sustainable Development Goals that address many of the complex challenges the world faces.

Through a coherent country programme the UN fully supports and works towards the complementary agendas of: Albania’s Goal of European Union integration, national priorities expressed in the National Strategy for Development and Integration as well as harmonization and aid effectiveness. This includes Albania’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Delivering as One UN initiative is a response to the request of UN Member States that the UN development system accelerates efforts to increase coherence and effectiveness of its operations at country level.

Eight nations—Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay and Viet Nam—stepped forward to become One UN pilots. UN teams in each country operate under one programme, one budget, one leader and one office guided by national priorities
Since 2008, Albania in partnership with the national counterparts implemented two UN-Governments of Albania Programmes of Cooperation under the Delivering as One approach

The Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021 combines the expertise of seventeen UN Agencies with increased synergies, efficiency and effectiveness, to enhance their contributions to Albania’s development, achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and EU Integration Agenda. The Government of Albania attaches high priority to aligning international assistance with national development plans and budgets. UN-Government of Albania Programme for Sustainable Development backs this objective.

One Programme – Government of Albania and United Nations Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development 2017-2021

*Text from the Programme of Cooperation 2017-2021
In June 2014, Albania received EU candidacy status. In September 2015, Albania adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), alongside all other Member States of the United Nations. In early 2016, the Government issued its National Strategy for Development and (European) Integration (NSDI II) 2015-2020. These key events and ambitions underpin the United Nations’ Programme of Cooperation for Sustainable Development (PoCSD) with the Government of Albania for sustainable development. Albania’s objective of European integration is a main driver of a broad programme of reform and is a shared political priority. The UN System will assist Albania achieve its SDG targets by supporting the pursuit of full European integration, as expressed in the NSDI, with a rights-based and inclusive approach.

Albania has made much progress over the last five years. Key reforms include a territorial reorganization alongside new local elections in 2015, a decriminalization law and a package of constitutional reforms focused on justice. The Government either met or registered significant progress towards nearly all of the Millennium Development Goals.

Nevertheless, much remains to be done in order for all Albanians to benefit from progress. Governance and management challenges, combined with the global and regional economic downturn since 2008, have negatively affected the economy and employment opportunities, and they have weakened the social fabric of the country. Albania remains one of the poorest countries in Europe and disparities affect the enjoyment of basic health, education, and social care and protection. The country’s Gini coefficient of 34.5 (2013) is the third highest in the region and the pattern indicates growing inequalities.

Four major results, or outcomes, were identified jointly by the Government, the UN, civil society and development partners. The outcomes respond to priorities that are aligned with the NSDI II and with the SDGs and targets:

Priority

Outcome

I. Governance and Rule of Law

State and civil society organisations perform effectively and with accountability for consolidated democracy in line with international norms and standards.

All women, men, girls and boys, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable groups, are exercising their entitlements to equitable quality services, in line with human rights; and more effective and efficient investments in human and financial resources are being made at central and local levels to ensure social inclusion and cohesion.

III. Economic Growth, Labour and Agriculture

Economic growth priorities, policies, and programmes of the GoA are inclusive, sustainable, and gender-responsive, with greater focus on competitiveness, decent jobs and rural development.

IV. Environment and Climate Change

Government and non-government actors adopt and implement innovative, gender-sensitive national and local actions for environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.

These outcomes serve as a mutual accountability framework between the Government and UN system agencies. The outcomes will be achieved through the ongoing application of a ‘Delivering-as-One’ approach. Key elements include:

A single ‘one programme’ that consolidates and strengthens the coherence of the programme of cooperation between the Government and UN system agencies, and

Outcome and Output Working Groups comprising members of Government sector ministries and UN system agencies. They are responsible for joint work planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting against planned results.

This PoCSD reinforces the strong partnership between the Government and UN system agencies to achieve country priorities. The Government has the primary responsibility and accountability for achieving the planned PoCSD outcomes. Based on their comparative advantages in Albania, UN system agencies will contribute with policy advice, in accordance with international norms, standards, and best practices, and build capacity at national and local levels – both within and beyond Government institutions – to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of national strategies, policies and plans. Emphasis is placed on those strategies, policies and plans that align strongly with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets, and that provides the fundamental basis for cooperation with UN system agencies

The PoCSD budget framework provides the GoA, UN system agencies, and other development partners with an overview of the required and available resources to support implementation, and any funding gaps. It is a basis for joint mobilization of resources and contributes to better coordination and delivery of support from the GoA and UN system agencies. Full implementation of the PoCSD will require an estimated total of USD 108 million. This includes USD 15 millionfrom regular or core resources and USD 22 millionfrom other or non-core resources. The total estimated funding gap is USD 70 million. The Government will support efforts by UN system agencies to raise funds required for the implementation of this PoCSD. As a middle income country, it is expected that the Government will increasingly leverage investment of partners by allocating its own catalytic resources into the PoCSD.

This PoCSD represents a joint commitment by the Government and UN to work together in a spirit of cooperation with the people of Albania to secure the changes that will help them to live longer, healthier and more prosperous lives.